Col. O.O. Potter

biography

O.O. Potter was born at the old homestead, his present residence, in Cussewago township, in 1827. He received his education at the district schools of the neighborhood, finishing with about two years study at an academy in Kingsville, Ohio. Afterward he clerked in a store and began the study of law. He entered the State and National Law School, at Ballston Spa, N. Y., in 1852 and was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1854. He established himself in the practice of the profession at Elmira, in that State, and removed to the city of New York in 1859, where he remained, with his office at thirty-nine Wall street, until Sumter's shame fired the Northern heart with fight and marshaled an army of a million soldiers from out the lap of peace in a single day, when, with two associates of the legal profession, he began the enlisting of a regiment in the cities of New York and Brooklyn, afterwards known as the Thirty-first Regiment New York Volunteers, which reported to the Secretary of War, in Washington, D. C., on the 29th day of May, 1861. It fought with McDowell at the first Bull Run; followed the misfortunes of McClellan, Burnside and Hooker in the battles and disasters of each on the Peninsula and in Maryland, and was mustered out of the service at the end of two years, the time for which the men were enlisted, in the City Hall Park, in New York city. On entering the ser vice he declined to accept any higher rank than that of Second Lieutenant. He was promoted on the 7th of May, 1862, at the battles of West Point to be a First Lieutenant, and at the battle of Game's Mill, on the 27th of June, 1862, to be Captain. In February, 1863, he was appointed by President Lincoln Assistant Quartermaster of Volunteers, with the rank of Captain, and on the mustering of the regiment out of the service was ordered to report to Gen. Banks, then commanding the Department of the Gulf and prosecuting the siege of Port Hudson. Arriving at New Orleans, on the second day of July, 1863, on the way to join General Banks, he received dispatches from the General (Emory) commanding at that point to his chief (General Banks), and a swift steamer was furnished him with picked officers and crew with which to run the blockade of the Mississippi to Port Hudson, there being no less than seven rebel batteries posted at favorable points behind the levees, and the whole course of the river swarming with prowling detachments of Dick Taylor's army. The little steamer ran the rebel batteries in gallant style, but was found to be sadly in need of repairs when she reached her destination, for she was riddled with rebel shot although, strange to say, her machinery had not been disabled. He was then ordered to report to General Godfrey Weitzel, commanding a division of the Nineteenth Army Corps, and was assigned to duty on his staff, as Chief Quartermaster of his command. Port Hudson soon after surrendered, and General Weitzel, with his command, was ordered to look after Dick Taylor, and in doing so made the campaigns of Opelous and the Bayou Teche, Dick Taylor vanishing before him like a will 'o the wisp. Late in the autumn of that year General Weitzel was relieved at his own request, and General Emory was placed in command of the division. The notable Red River campaign was soon after entered upon, ending in disaster, and the army once more found itself on the banks of the Mississippi under the burning sun of a tropical midsummer. The Nineteenth Corps, under the command of General Emory, was soon after ordered to Washington, D. C., by land. Captain Potter was assigned Chief Quartermaster of the Corps. On their arrival at Washington the capital was found in a panic on account of the rebel General Early having invested it with his army, which was soon caused to fall back into the Shenandoah Valley. General Phil. Sheridan, soon after placed in command, began the series of brilliant exploits, defeating Early's army in various battles, and ending in the closing scene of the rebellion at Appomattox. In May, 1865,. Captain Potter was promoted to the rank of Major and Assistant Quartermaster by President Johnson, and ordered to report to General Godfrey Weitzel, then commanding the Twenty-fifth Army Corps, and acting as an army of observation on the Texas (Rio Grande) frontier. On the 4th of July, 1865, he reported to him at Brazos, Santiago, and was soon after assigned by Major General Steele, then commanding that department, to duty on his staff, as Chief Quartermaster of that department. In December, 1865, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel by Brevet by President Johnson, and in February 1866, was mustered out of the service at his own request. He immediately engaged in furnishing the Mexican Liberal army with arms and ammunition in their gallant struggle against Maximilian and his European backers. In 1868 he returned to the North, and having previously purchased the old homestead, where he now resides, engaged in farming, which business he has continued up to the present. In 1870 he married Miss Adella Denny, of Hayfield, daughter of the late Wm. Denny, Esq. In the autumn of 1876 he was elected to the House of Representatives of the State for two years, sitting in that body during the sessions of 1877-8.

Directory of Crawford County, PA, 1879-80, page 293-294